Factors Influencing The Organic Food Market - 6312 Words

The organic food market in the US has reached new heights, with retail sales in 2010 totaling $26.6 billion; this represents a significant increase from $6.1 billion just ten years earlier (Dimitri, 2012). Organic production includes food that is grown without pesticides, chemicals, growth hormones, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Consumers, once buying mainly organic fruits and vegetables, have recently indicated a strong interest in a wide range of organic products, such as milk, eggs, packaged products, and other manufactured goods. Consumers buying behavior when purchasing organic food products can be determined or influenced by various personal and environmental factors. Personal factors relate to motivational, cognitive and affective processes in which psychosocial variables such as attitudes, norms, self-efficacy, skills and their underlying beliefs play a crucial role (Verbeke, 2008). Numerous factors associated with a person’s physical, social and econom ic environment can further encourage or inhibit behavior change (Verbeke, 2008). Product labeling and advertising can also have an impact on the consumers buying behavior of organic food products and can affect the consumers’ knowledge, attitudes, and decision making. Consumers want information to help them enjoy food, achieve a better diet, avoid allergens, or to know origin, ethical and technological conditions under which the food has been produced or processed. Personal factors such as health,Show MoreRelatedThe Value of Market Auditing Essay1211 Words   |  5 PagesAssess the value to small businesses of carrying out marketing audits. Illustrate your arguments with reference to an existing small business of your choice In this essay I will be assessing the value of Market auditing for small businesses using the firm Abel and Cole as a model. 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Cultural Research Interview Free Essays

string(58) " a special recognition of the first wife \(Mboya, 1986\)\." This study seeks to explore the culture of Luo community in Kenya. It is not easy to study Kenya as a culture on its own due to its multi-cultural dimension. Therefore, one can only study it from the many cultures there are. We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Research Interview or any similar topic only for you Order Now It will explore Luo culture in various domains. The study will provide concrete examples to support the findings in each domain. It will also carry out a one-on-one interview with a Kenyan citizen and especially from Luo culture. The findings in the literature review will be compared with the data collected from the interview. This study also seeks to propose few recommendations and suggestions on applications to practice. Luo Culture in Kenya Kenyan as a multi-cultural nation has got forty two tribes with different cultures. Therefore, one can only explore certain aspects of Kenyan culture. This study narrows its scope to Luo Culture, whose community takes about 25% of the Kenyan Population hence being the third largest ethnic group (Ochieng, 2007). It is believed that this community originated from the Southern part of Sudan, getting into Kenya through Northern Uganda and settled in Nyanza Province (Ochieng, 2007). It is also believed that their migration was in search of higher and cooler regions with adequate rainfalls (Isak, 1972). Today, they are popularly referred to as River-Lake Nilotes (Ochieng, 2007). This study chooses to explore on Luo culture due to its peculiar elements. In fact, it is considered to be one of those complicated cultures in Kenya especially on the issue of â€Å"wife inheritance† (Gay, 1981). When Kenya was still under British colonialism, the Luo people managed to defend their land; more so, they played a fundamental role in fighting for Kenya’s independence. It is also worth noting that this tribe produced and continues to produce a number of scholars and other educated men and women who have attained high levels of education from prominent universities all over the world (Liyong, 1972). Luo professionals are present in most parts of Kenyan economy; for instance, they serve in business and government ministries, educational institutions as professors, doctors, engineers and lawyers. Literature Review Communication The Luo community has got three languages. Two of the languages are widely used by all other Kenyan tribes, for instance, English and Kiswahili. English originated from the British colonial era and was declared by Kenyan government as the official language while Kiswahili is the national language (Sinaiko, 1995). The indigenous language of Luo community is referred to as â€Å"Dholuo† which is commonly used at home and in their everyday conversation (Sinaiko, 1995). In their culture, naming of children relate to where they were born, the exact time of day or the day of the week. This also includes the kind of weather at that time (Ocholla, 1980). For instance, the name Akoth (female) or Okoth (male) is given when one is born during a rainy season. In general, the Luo culture names children on three formats, for instance, a Christian name like Peter or James then a second name like â€Å"Okoth† then a sir name like â€Å"Omondi† (Ocholla, 1980). Nutrition Luo community grows maize (corn), millet and sorghum. It also grows cash crops, for instance, tobacco, coffee, sugarcane and cotton. They also keep animals such as goats, sheep, poultry and cattle, which are later used to settle dowry prizes. Most importantly, fish in Luo culture means a lot; in fact, fishing is a major economic activity in Luo community (Parker, 1989). It is also worth noting that this community’s staple food consists of ugali (kuon) and fish. Ugali is prepared from maize meal mixed with boiled water until it becomes a thick porridge where fish becomes its preferred accompaniment. Additionally, the ugali food can be accompanied by green vegetables, meat or stew. Maize is a common food all over Kenya and most families grow it and sell it for a better income (Parker, 1989). Luo culture abhors foods like rice and mixture of boiled maize and beans (Mboya, 1986). But sometimes, this mixture of boiled maize and beans which they refer to as (nyoyo) is typically consumed when the community members return from a hard day of work in the fields. The nyoyo can also be eaten with tea, porridge or stir fried vegetables (Mboya, 1986). This community likes traditional beer known as busaa which is prepared during special occasions or celebrations. Normally, they mix flour and water and leave it for sometime until it turns sour after which they heat it in a big pot. Men drink from the pot using long pipes while seated and women can join them or have their share on big mugs. They also feed on a mixture of milk and blood from slaughtered animals like cows or sheep. Family Roles and Organizations The Luo culture values family life and especially the gift of children. This culture believes that children belong to the father even in cases where both parents separate (Mboya, 1986). In most cases, the father is left to take care of the children. The culture also expects men of great wealth to settle for many wives as a sign of social responsibility (Liyong, 1972). This notion is what has led to the issue of wife inheritance which is going to be explored later in this study. Once women get married they live in their husbands’ homesteads. Thereafter, married women are expected to build strong relationships between their family members and those of her husband. It is the women’s responsibility to nurture a warm and mutual relationship among all the in-laws. It is expected that married women will bear children for their husbands’ lineage (Southall, 1952). The more the wife bears more children the more she enhances her influence in the lineage of her husband. These children later take care of their interests. As indicated earlier, men pay the bridal dowry which allows women to maintain ties with their loved ones throughout their lives (Southall, 1952). Polygamy is also acceptable in the Luo culture so long as traditional practices and regulations are adhered to, for instance, a special recognition of the first wife (Mboya, 1986). You read "Cultural Research Interview" in category "Free Research Paper Samples" Normally, the husband has to separate the wives where the first wife’s house and granary are constructed behind the homestead opposite the main gate (Mboya, 1986). The rest of the wives’ houses and granaries are positioned to the right and left sides from the first wives’ premises and in the order of their marriage (Mboya, 1986). The same case applies to the sons who are given homes adjacent to the main entrance of the compound and in the order of their birth (Southall, 1952). The husband builds himself a house at the center of the compound (Southall, 1952). Luo culture believes that once the dowry has been paid in full and that the spouses have born children, divorce can no longer take place. Even if the two separate they are still considered to be married. In case the wife does not bear children, the husband can divorce her or replace her with another wife. The wife receives the blame in cases of infertility. Young girls are expected to help their mothers and their mothers’ co-wives in tilling the land owned by their fathers, brothers and paternal uncles (Ocholla, 1980). It does not matter whether the girl gets to school and attains good education she still has to help in tilling the land. On the other hand, boys and youthful men spend more time with livestock and engage in lots of social labor (Ocholla, 1980). Biocultural Ecology Luo community, just like many other communities in Kenya, consists of black people with strong physical structure. Malaria is considered to be a major killer in Luo culture. Moreover, kwashiorkor which derives from lack of enough proteins in the body, affects most children (Themes in Kenyan History, 1990). Most families do not afford to prepare a balanced diet neither do they have knowledge about nutrition and health standards (Themes in Kenyan History, 1990). In villages, preventive medicine is preferred and in fact most communities in the rural settings have clinics with medical workers. The medical workers try the best they can to help the communities maintain good sanitation, nutrition, prenatal care including other practices that can help reduce the risk of diseases (Themes in Kenyan History, 1990). Luo culture faces great challenges from HIV/Aids pandemic which has left many children orphans. Relatives to bereaved children adopt them with the hope that the enormity of HIV crisis will come to an end (IPAR, 2004)). It is however believed that the rate of HIV infection is very high in Luo Culture. Moreover, it suffers from food shortages and records the highest rates of infant mortality in Kenya (IPAR, 2004). It does not have good facilities for clean water supply a situation that has led many residents succumb to water-borne diseases, for instance, typhoid fever, amoebic dysentery and common dysentery including diarrhea (IPAR, 2004). Most girls suffer from teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (IPAR, 2004). High-Risk Behaviors As indicated earlier, Luo culture faces great challenges from HIV infections. This has been attributed to irresponsible sexual behavior among the youths. As such, Luo culture does not value male circumcision instead they remove their young men six front teeth both from the upper jaw and the lower jaw. Unfortunately, this right of passage does not meet dental health standards since it is done manually and in a very rough way (Stein, 1985). Wife inheritance is another strange cultural practice whereby a widow is remarried by the deceased’s brother who must meet all her marital requirements, for instance, conjugal rights. According to Luo culture, adolescent period should prepare a girl for marriage and family life. In the traditional settings, girls obtain tattoos on their backs and having their ears pierced as well. The unfortunate thing is that the materials used to carry out these practices are never sterilized (Stein, 1985). Girls come together among peer groups where they get to share their sexuality, for instance, discussing boys and their personal attributes. On the same note, older women provide sex education to the teenage girls. Lovers secretly meet near these huts although pregnancy outside marriage is strictly prohibited (Southall, 1952). Fertility and Childbearing Practices Luo culture discourages people from noting when a woman is pregnant for they believe that it would bring problems and troubles from jealous ancestors (Mboya, 1986). Older women and wives accompany expectant mothers throughout their pregnancy and during nativity. In this community, twins are not received very well. They believe that twins originate from the evil spirits and so they treat such cases with special attention. The twins’ parents are required to assume certain taboos. In order to prevent the calamity that may befall the twins’ parents, the community members engage in obscene dancing as well as using foul language. Only in this way can the burden of giving birth to twins be lifted (Gay, 1981). As mentioned earlier, women receive much of the blame in case of infertility in marriage. This culture believes that infertility is as a result of blasphemy in the ancestral lineage of the woman. They believe that unless the spirits and ancestors intervene, the woman will never give birth (Gay, 1981). As can be seen, it can be argued and justifiably so that control of fertility is attributed to the mercy of the ancestors. In other words, Luo culture believes that fertility is given by the ancestors to the favored ones. In a more traditional setting, incest has been associated with most pregnancy complications. However, the husband including other relatives should make sure that after the woman gives birth they slaughter a goat or sheep for her where she gets to eat it at intervals. This ritual is compulsory and if one fails to honor it either the mother or the child can experience more complications even to the point of dying (Mboya, 1986). Men shouldn’t watch women giving birth unless on serious conditions. They are supposed to be far away from the scene. If a woman gives birth traditionally, she has to sit on a stone with her legs apart where other women support her to give birth. Immediately she gives birth the child is rushed in the hut for other rituals which involve cleaning the umbilical cord and cutting part of it to be buried. This is believed to be a sign of appreciation to the ancestors (Liyong, 1972). Death Rituals It is worth noting that Luo culture performs about fourteen rituals for the dead (Wakana, 1997). Table 1 in appendix A summarizes the rituals from the first step to the last. Whenever a person dies women come out with long, quivering wail which is seconded by sound of drums. Strictly, the death announcement has to take place either in the morning or in the evening. Luo culture prohibits death announcement during the day although this varies across persons, age, sex and occupation (Wakana, 1997). If, for instance, a child dies in the morning the announcement follows immediately but in the case of elderly men, women have to wait until sunset to start wailing (Pritchard, 1965). The bereaved family stays throughout in the compound of the deceased until the burial day. Other members of the community gather to console the family (Wakana, 1997). Digging of the grave takes place at round 9 p. m. and goes until 3 to 4 a. m. of the burial day (Millikin, 1906). One or two weeks after the burial cholla begins where several relatives to the deceased take their cattle to his compound at around seven o’clock in the morning. It is however important to note that this ritual is only performed for dead men. The men gather there, kill a cock without using a knife and share its pieces of meat. They then blow horns of buffaloes and rhinoceroses (oporro) and play drums (bul) as well. These men later attract a long procession composed of more men, women and children; it becomes longer and noisier as communities sing and play the instruments even louder (Milikin, 1906). Spirituality It is believed that Christianity has penetrated the lives of Luo community hence changing some of their traditional religious beliefs. However, a greater part of Luo culture still engages in traditional rituals (Ocholla, 1980). The new Christian movements in this community are Catholicism and Protestantism. Despite their Christian beliefs, they still belief in the intercession of their ancestors in their lives (Ocholla, 1980). Traditionally, it is believed that the ancestors reside in the sky or underground and their souls undergo transmigration either through animals or new born babies (Themes in History, 1990). In actual fact, they carry out ceremonies whenever naming of a child takes place to determine if a particular spirit has been reincarnated (Themes in History, 1990). Additionally, it is believed that the ancestral spirits communicate with the living in their dreams (Ocholla, 1980). Luo Culture believes that failure to remember or respect the spirits may have adverse effects in their community (Sinaiko, 1995). It is worth noting that they refer to spirits as jouk which means â€Å"shadow† and they refer to God as Nyasaye which translates as â€Å"he who is begged† and also Were which translates as â€Å"certain to grant requests† (Sinaiko, 1995). Ancestral worship plays a predominant role in their traditional religion. Ancestral spirits are believed to be actively involved in the world. This strong belief is very evident in the belief system of many Luos (Sinaiko, 1995). Health Care Practices It is unfortunate to remark that Luo culture does not have elements that can promote community health. In other words, it is not a culture that motivates the Luo people to maintain healthy standards. Most of the beliefs and practices are geared towards appeasing the ancestors and thus forget the well being of the entire community at present. This is why this culture cannot be regarded as a past or present oriented culture because many of its emphases lay on their destiny (Isak, 1972). Even in matters regarding health, they call upon their ancestors to intervene. It is also important to note that they believe that being healthy is a favor from their forefathers and being unhealthy is a curse from the same forefathers. It becomes complicated to guide them through a causal health understanding of their diseases. Inasmuch as healthcare practitioners would want to address the why of their health issues the big challenge would be to convince them out of their traditionally held beliefs. The elders who serve as traditional doctors are revered by this community and they rely on their guidance in curing certain diseases (Southall, 1952). However, with the HIV endemic that has swept away many families leaving most children orphans, has led Luo culture to seek other better ways to deal with their health issues. Obviously, given that HIV/Aids has no cure they started realizing that traditional practices cannot address the problem (IPAR, 2004). Although their folklore practices do not directly address health issues, they got some moral stories that can be useful in giving care to the sick. For instance, among the commonly told story is refereed to as â€Å"Opondo’s Children† which talks of a man who gave birth to monitor lizards instead of human babies (Mboya, 1986). With time, the parents decided to throw them away due to their inhuman conditions. One day, they decided to retain one of their babies who at the age of adolescence loved to bathe in the riverside. In the process of swimming the child turned into a fully functioning human being. Passers by noticed and ran back to the village with this news which pleased the community members. The child was accepted in the community and received a lot of love and support. From this story, Luo culture believes that they have a duty towards the sick especially the physically handicapped (Mboya, 1986). Client Interview Data This section discusses some of the findings established during the interview process. The participant is a Kenyan citizen and from a Luo culture. The impressive thing in this study is that much of the ideas established in the literature review were re-affirmed during the entire interview process. However, the interviewee was assertive that Luo culture has changed tremendously and that Luo people are becoming more scientific in their thinking. Communication According to the interviewee, communication in Luo culture just requires respect and clarity. In general, young ones should not scold their parents and the same case applies to husbands in respect to their wives. However, this study leant that Luo culture prohibits pointing another person using an index finger; to them it means fate to the pointed person. He confirmed that Luo culture has become an interactive one where people can share their feelings with one another. It had been mentioned that men could not interact with women or children could not interact with their elders, today things have changed. The format for giving names is still evident where children are given names according to seasons, events or calamities. Nutrition This study learnt that Luo culture will never have other preferred staple foods apart from fish and ugali. The interviewee confirmed that this is not only a matter of culture but it is also because of the meaning of such food to their lives. He believes that Luo has many intelligent people â€Å"genius† because of feeding on fish. Moreover, they are healthy and strong because of combining fish with ugali which is actually a carbohydrate. Family Roles Organizations The interviewee remarked as follows, â€Å"if there is anything that Luo culture has failed in, it is its perception on family†. This study learnt that modern Luo families want to treat their family matters as personal. In fact, most families have begun migrating to urban places just to experience peace and autonomy. However, the interviewee remarked that most parents still uphold cultural values meant to discipline their children. In other words, most families still hold to those traditional ways of bringing up their children. Husbands still remain the heads of their families and with the duty of educating their children. But all the same, wives are supposed to help financially especially if the spouses are both working. Workforce Issues The interviewee remarked that Luo culture has evolved where traditional practices have become a collective responsibility. Today, men and women can go fishing and even engage in its selling. Moreover, all genders have become professionals in different fields. High Risk Behaviours Indeed, the interviewee confirmed that Luo culture still engages in high risk behaviors which in the interviewee’s opinion are backward. First he sighted the â€Å"wife inheritance issue†; here he said that most women or men contract HIV Virus due to this practice. He said the following, â€Å"I still do not understand why Luo culture has to push for wife inheritance. Somebody dies of HIV/aids and the community very well knows about it, but the brother to the deceased goes ahead to have intercourse with the woman. † He also said, â€Å"This does not apply only to HIV/Aids only but it also extends to other diseases like diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, and meningitis†. This study learnt that there are women who get re-married to their in-laws who have terminal illness hence affecting their health both physically and psychologically. This study also learns that Luo culture still faces serious problems with HIV/Aids due to unsafe sex among the youths and commercial sex workers where most of them are young girls. The interviewee had this to say, â€Å"Sex is deeply entrenched in the Luo culture such that it cannot be comprehended in isolation†; he also said â€Å"females who are poor resort to sexually irresponsible behavior just to get money which is not even more than five dollars. † The interviewee also mentioned the issue of polygamous marriages where men engage sexually with many women hence contracting serious sexual transmitted diseases. This study also learnt that consumption of illicit brews and drugs and the growing establishments of entertainment houses have left many youths with poor health conditions hence dying at a very young age. As mentioned earlier, female genital mutilation and removal of teeth poses great risks. The interviewee had this to say: â€Å"these practices are very risky since they are carried out under unhygienic conditions and even the equipment used is never sterilized. This is why they keep on contracting germs and HIV virus†. Pregnancy and Childbearing Practices The interviewee believes that causes of teenage pregnancies are as a result of ignorance on the side of the girls. According to him, most girls do not know how to go about their productive life. But, he was very happy to remark that nowadays women give birth in the hospitals and rarely will women give birth in traditional settings. There are no taboos associated with marriage in the Luo culture today, only that the husband should take very good care of the wife. He also remarked that among the most improved health practices among Luo women is care for the mother before and after birth. Apart from traditional food, anything to do with the medication of the mother and the child is as prescribed by a qualified doctor. Health Care Practices Practitioners The interviewee was very optimistic that in few years to come Luo culture will have the best medical practitioners ever. According to him, most Luo men and women have undertaken courses in medicine and other health care modules. â€Å"Today, Luo culture has evolved from a culture of traditional doctors to a culture of serious surgeons, physicians and mid-wives†. He informed this study that traditional medicine men cannot carry out any practices on complicated issues like pregnancy, eye-problems, heart failure, diabetes et cetera. They instead encourage the patient to seek professional help from a hospital. They only get involved in the treatment of minor illnesses like cold, flu, chicken pox, normal diarrhea, sore throats just to mention a few. Here, they prepare medicine from traditional herbs from different plants. Moreover, they make medicine for children using fat substances from the fish products. In fact, the interviewee remarked that Kenya’s medical sector borrowed from the Luo traditional doctors how to prepare medicine to prevent children from coughing. The medicine is popularly known as â€Å"cough syrup† which is a by product of fish in Luo culture. Research Questions The research method selected for this proposed research study follows a qualitative approach. The qualitative method will be implemented because it follows the approach that allows for the collection and analysis of data that could not described through a quantitative approach. This approach is descriptive and inquisitive in nature, which is selected because of its relevance to the type of data collected and because of the purpose of the study. Contrary to the quantitative research method, participants from this study will be encouraged to use their personal experiences to interpret and answer interview questions. Their demographic background will also be significantly considered for the interpretation of the test answers (Leed Omrod, 2005). Any form of quantifiable data that can be found in this study, will be analyzed according to descriptive statistics. Alise (2008) pointed out that under the qualitative research method, there is an interaction between the researcher and the participants. The following are the research questions: 1) To what extent does Luo culture hinder effective health safety measures? 2) How does Luo culture affect health care practitioners? Is there any competition between healthcare practitioners and traditional doctors? Recommendations for Research Based on the findings of this study, it further recommends that: a) There be an empirical investigation carried out in this community in order to ascertain the findings of this research b) Health agencies to study this culture more closely in order to help it improve on community health c) To explore other cultures in Kenya that might be having similar challenges Applications to Practice In order to carry out ethnographic fieldwork among Luo Community and generate information based on qualitative analysis, it would be beneficial to learn more from medical anthropologists and professors. Moreover, there should be more research from the libraries to gain more insight on Luo culture and to familiarize more on the best methods to gather and record information. Medical volunteers are traveling to work with the Luo community to cooperate with the traditional healers and record their conversations about herbs. They should make sure there is an interpreter available. The team can take pictures and identify herb clippings for their easier recognition. The volunteers can carry out prior research to compare with the current clinical use of the herbs and their dosages. Summary/Conclusion This study has established that Luo culture has got three languages namely: English, Kiswahili and Dholuo. However, Dholuo is commonly used. Luo culture gives names according to seasons, events, calamities or time. Luo are mixed farmers since they grow crops and keep animals at the same time. Luo culture values ugali and fish which serve as their staple food. Marriage is regarded in high esteem and especially when children come by. Children remain with the father even in cases of separation or divorce for that matter. Luo community constitutes of black people. Among the most common diseases affecting this community are malaria, malnutrition, kwashiorkor, typhoid, amoeba and HIV/Aids. The high risk behaviors include removal of teeth, tattoos, genital mutilation and other rights of passage that use non-sterilized equipment. Luo culture has got fourteen death rituals although their applications vary from age, sex, or occupation of the deceased. Moreover, this culture does not promote community health per se. Traditional doctors have an influential role although they recognize the role of professional medical practitioners. The folklore activities provide wonderful moral stories that encourage the community to take care of the sick and especially the physically handicapped. The client interview data strongly brings out Luo community as a changing culture, and in deed, for the better. However, the high risk behaviors still pose a great challenge to the health well being of its members. References Alise, M. (2008). Disciplinary differences in preferred research methods: A comparison of groups in the Biglan Classification Scheme. Retrieved from North Central University website: http://learners. ncu. edu/library/ncu_diss/default. aspx. Pritchard, E. E. 1965 (1949). Luo tribes and clans. In (E. E. Evans-Pritchard, ed. ) The Position of Women in Primitive Societies and Other Essays in Social Anthropology, pp. 205-227. Faber and Faber Ltd. , London. Gay, D. (1981). Modern Kenya. New York: Longman Isak, D. (1972) Out of Africa. New York: Random House Institute of Policy Analysis Research (IPAR), (2004). HIV/Aids Scourge in Nyanza Province: Poverty, Culture and Behavior Change. Journal of African Medical Care, Vol. 10, Issue 11. Kenya in Pictures, (1988). Minneapolis, Minn. : Lerner Publications Co. Leed, P. D. and Ormrod, J. E. (2005). Practical Research: Planning and Design (8th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Liyong, T. (1972). Popular Culture of East Africa. London Mboya, P. (1986) (unpublished). Luo Customs and Beliefs. , translated by Jane Achieng (1938, Luo Kitgi gi Timbegi). Millikin, A. S. (1906). Burial customs of the Wa-Kavirondo of the Kisumu Province. Man, 6 (35): 54-55. Ocholla-Ayayo, A. B. C. (1980). The Luo Culture: A Reconstruction of a Traditional African Society Ochieng, E. (2009). History of Luo Culture. Journal of Kenya’s Heritage, vol. 2 (22-45) Parker, S. (1989). Bitter Money: Cultural Economy and Some African Meanings of Forbidden Commodities. American Ethnological Society Monograph Series, no. 1. Washington, D. C Sinaiko, L. (1995). Holidays of the World Cookbook for Students. Phoenix, Ariz. : Oryx Stein, R. (1985). Kenya. Chicago: Children’s Press Southall, A. (1952). Lineage Formation among the Luo. Memorandum of International African Institute, No. 26. Oxford University Press, London. Themes in Kenyan History (1990). Athens: Ohio University Press Wakana SHIINO, (1997). Death Rituals in Luo Nyanza. Journal of Africa Study Monographs, 18 (3, 4) 213-228, Department of Social Anthropology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, How to cite Cultural Research Interview, Essays

Muddy Waters Essays - Blues, Mississippi Blues Trail, Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters Muddy Waters Blues as an art form gave Blacks a medium to manifest their feelings. Feelings ranging from humorous to silly to depressed. Fortunately for a entire genre of music, the only way for Mckinley Morganfield to express himself was through song. Morganfield better known as Muddy Waters became a legendary blues vocalist /guitarist. When the Blues industry saw commercial success many of its artists also saw rising fame. Muddy Waters enjoyed success in the industry up until and even after his death in 1983. Morganfield was born April 4, 1915 to Ollie Morganfield and Bertha Jones. He was born in Rollingfork, Mississippi. Near their two room shack in Rollingfork there was a creek, Deer Creek. As a youngster he used to play in the creek and get all dirty and muddy. It was at this point when his sisters gave him the nickname ?Muddy Waters'. Bertha died when he was about three. After her death he had to move in with his grandmother in Clarksdale. Raised in Clarksdale, he also went to school there. He went to school until he was old enough to work in the fields. Much like all of the other field laborers Muddy Waters hollered in the fields to pass time or just to get things off of your chest. Waters would also teach himself to play instruments. When he was fifteen he knew how to play the harmonica and he would later teach himself the guitar. The young Waters followed in his fathers musician footsteps. He was part of a band at fifteen, with Scott Bowhandle on guitar and Sonny Simms playing the violin. They would play some Saturday nights in downtown Clarksdale and others he would sell fried fish on nights. And other nights he would watch the greats like Son House, Robert Johnson and Charlie Patton were great musical influences on Waters. The main influence on Waters was Son House, although Waters style of play was more similar to that of Robert Johnson. Muddy Waters was first recognized by word of mouth. Alan Lomax of The Library of Congress went to Clarksdale to record Robert Johnson. But to his dismay, he found out that Robert Johnson was dead and had been for two years. The word on the street at that time led Lomax to Muddy Waters. Waters would record two songs with them in 1941, far before he became famous. His name would not reach household status until 1947 when he recorded his first hit single, ?I can't be satisfied.? Muddy Waters style of blues was considered rough and uncompromising. It was different from all of the other too ?polished' for the South musicians. Waters didn't have a sing-song voice, but a deep raspy voice. Success was steadily increasing especially since the addition of band members. The band complimented his sound. Jimmy Rogers was on the guitar, and harmonica specialist Little Walter. The band provided superb sounds while the ?grand ole man' played his guitar and sang. Although I listened to more than two selections there were two that stood out in my mind; ?The Hoochie Coochie Man' and ?Corine Corina'. Waters proclaims his arrival and his presence as the hoochie coochie man. He wants to let the world know that he is here. Over a consistent baseline, he begins each verse with a whisper and concluding each verse with a shout almost. Adding to the effect that says his coming and know he is here. The next song ?Corine Corina is fast paced and upbeat. In an almost pleading voice he asks Corina why she does not love him. He leaves Corina by the end of the song. This record has a blend of saxophones, a base and a bridge with a harmonica. Neither of these songs carry the typical thoughts of what a Blues song should like. ?The most astonishing aspect of the blues is that, through replete with a sense of defeat and downheartedness, they are not intrinsically pessimistic; their burden of woe and melancholy is dialectically redeemed through sheer force of sensuality into an almost exultant affirmation of life, of love, of sex, of movement, of hope. No matter how repressive was the American environment, the Negro never lost faith in of doubted his deeply endemic capacity to live. All blues are a lusty, lyrical realism charged with taut sensibility. I'll never understand why most people define the blues as an expression of sadness only.? -Richard Wright, definition of blues Muddy Waters is a legend. Not

Should Democracy Be Adopted by All Nations

Should Democracy Be Adopted by All Nations Introduction Democracy refers to a system of government in which citizens participate in decision-making and decide how they want to be governed (Cheibu Dahl 2003). It gives citizens an opportunity to contribute in maters that determine the course of their lives. Democracy allows citizens to participate in the process of making laws either directly or indirectly through elected representatives (Burns et al 2001).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should Democracy Be Adopted by All Nations? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Political self-determination is one of the most vital aspects of democracy. This is because democracy encompasses economic, social, and cultural aspects of people’s lives. Other forms of government include monarchy, aristocracy, or oligarchy. In a monarchy, power is held by one individual while in an oligarchy, power is in the hands of a few people who make all decisions (Burns et al 2001). De mocracy should be adopted in all nations because it promotes equality, freedom, and peace. Freedom Aristotle described democracy as a form of freedom that allows citizens to live, as they resolve because the will of the majority prevails (Cheibu Dahl 2003). In a democracy, there is a government and a constitution that guides citizens in order to promote peace and tranquility. However, they should not pose as obstacles to liberty and freedom. Even though democracy exists, its execution in some nations applies partially (Burns et al 2001). As such, there is widespread violation of human rights and denial of freedom. Freedom is one of the main objectives of adopting democracy in a nation (Cheibu Dahl 2003). A nation should adopt democracy because it promotes freedom, as well as giving citizens power and authority to make laws that govern them (Christiano, 2004). During the process of making laws, the needs and preferences of citizens are considered and incorporated in to the laws. Th is is in contrast to other forms of government in which a few individuals make laws on behalf of citizens. Equality All nations should adopt democracy because it builds on the principle of equality (Christiano, 2004). All citizens are equal and are supposed to enjoy similar social, economic, and political rights. This implies that the government should not discriminate against any citizen or group of citizens because of their religion, ethnicity, or gender (Geer Schiller 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Democracy promotes equality because every citizen is equal before the law. One of the main components of a democracy is a constitution. A constitution ensures that every citizen enjoys similar rights as everyone else, as well as equal treatment despite their race, religion, gender, or socio-economic class (Lijphart 2012). Historians have argued whether tr ue attainment of democracy is possible. In many countries, several aspects that include level of education, gender, ethnical affiliation, and economic status hinder democracy. Greed for money by the elite, who oppress the poor despite existence of democracy, has greatly hindered its adoption (Lijphart 2012). Freedom to make laws and participate in governance gives citizens a sense of belonging (Geer Schiller 2011). It bestows upon them the feeling that they are responsible for their own welfare and should therefore participate in creating laws. In other government forms, the leader possesses power to make laws according to his/her wishes. This has led to grave misuse of power as witnessed in countries such as Iraq, Egypt, and Cuba where democracy is not recognized (Mill, 2009). By participating in elections, citizens get an opportunity to elect leaders that they feel possess the best qualities for leadership. In a democracy, people chose their own leaders, unlike in other forms of government. Democracy creates a feeling of obligation and responsibility in citizens (Ross 2006). They have a responsibility to elect good leaders to lead their nation, and an obligation to participate in elections. This gives them a feeling of belonging because they decide the government that governs their nation. This applies through elections and referendums. Democracy gives all citizens the opportunity assume leadership positions (Mill, 2009). Any citizen can vie for an elective post and represent other citizens in the government. This encourages fair competition and responsibility, which are necessary for promotion of democracy. Responsible and stable administration One of the main benefits of democracy is that its statutes promote and advocate for a stable and responsible government (Ross 2006). A study of major democracies in the world revels that stability, efficiency, growth, and firmness are the main characteristics of democracy. Democracy forms a firm and responsible gove rnment because it is based on the wishes of citizens.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should Democracy Be Adopted by All Nations? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, leaders are accountable to citizens who elect them into office. In representative democracy, elected leaders make informed decisions based on ideas and opinions of the people (Ross 2006). Elected representatives are responsible because if they fail to fulfill the wishes of their electorate, they remove them from power when they participate in elections after a certain period. A stable administration means that there is little chance of revolution. Democracy is primarily based on the will of the people. Therefore, there is low possibility that people might revolt against the government except in cases of violation of the democratic rights of citizens. Democracy has been shown to be the most stable and effective form of government because it fun ctions on consensus (Shapiro Corsdn 1999). Any critical decision undergoes the scrutiny of the public before implementation. The benefits of democracy are evident from observation of democracies such as the United States. The US has grown tremendously over the last few decades because it upholds democratic ideals (Shapiro Corsdn 1999). This has enabled it to become the most powerful nation in the world. A similar case applies with countries in the Europe that have embraced democracy. Their rule was characterized by abuse of power, corruption, wars, and violation of human rights. However, this changed when they turned to democracy. Russia has been through many forms of government than any other European country. Anarchy resulted in communism, and monarchy ended in violence (Shapiro Corsdn 1999). The formation of a communism government had adverse effects on countries of the USSR. The economy deteriorated and many countries experienced extended periods of abject poverty. However, a fter they embraced democracy, they were able to rebuild Russia and regain stability and economic prosperity. Better governance Another reason why all nations should adopt democracy is the profundity of corruption of power (Schumpeter 2003). In essence, power is not corrupting, but when an individual assumes power, there is high possibility that they will misuse it. This observation applies in monarchies where one individual possess all the power.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In case the individual results to misuse of power, this results in adverse effects such as deterioration of the economy, wars, famine, and corruption. This affects the whole government. This is in contrast to a democratic form of government. Abuse of power by an individual does not crumble a governance system due to even distribution of duties and responsibilities (Schumpeter 2003). Power is in the hands of many people. Therefore, it is difficult for an individual to corrupt the system with power. The advantage of democracy is that people form the government. Therefore, it is not possible for the will of the government to conflict with the will of the people (Schumpeter 2003). In other forms of government, the will of the people always conflicts with the will of the leaders. This is because citizens do not get an opportunity to give their opinions or to voice their concerns. Counterargument Despite being the best form of government, democracy has flaws too. These include misappropri ation of public funds, promotion of dictatorship of the majority, lowering of moral standards, disinterest by voters in elections, and capitalism (Smith 1996). Despite these flaws, democracy is the best form of government. Advantages of democracy outweigh the disadvantages. Conclusion Democracy has been labeled the best system of government that any nation can embrace. It has certain weaknesses but it is more stable, efficient, and stronger than other systems such as monarchies and oligarchies. All nations should adopt democracy because of several reasons. These include stability and efficient administration, promotion of freedom, equality of all citizens, equal opportunity to power, and responsible administration. Benefits of democracy are evident for observing democracies such as the US and European countries. Through democracy, they have been able to achieve growth and prosperity that has placed them among the most prosperous and powerful nations in the world. References Burns, J , Pelatson, J., Cronin, T Magleby, B 2001, Government by the People, Prentice Hall, New York. Cheibu, A Dahl, R 2003, The Democracy Sourcebook, MIT Press, London. Christiano, T 2004, The Authority of Democracy, Journal of Political Philosophy, vol.12 no.3, pp. 266-290. Geer, J Schiller, W 2011, Gateways to Democracy: Introduction to American Government, Cengage Learning, New York. Lijphart, A 2012, Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries, Yale University Press, New York. Mill, J 2009, Representative Government, GRIN Verlag, New York. Ross, M 2006, Is Democracy Good for the Poor, American Journal of Political Science, vol.50 no.4, pp. 860-874. Schumpeter, J 2003, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, Taylor Francis, New York. Shapiro, I Corsdn, C 1999, Democracy’s Values, Cambridge University Press, London. Smith, b 1996, Sustainable Local Democracy, Public Administration and Development, vol. 16 no.2, pp. 163-178.

Definition and Examples of Conditional Sentences

Definition and Examples of Conditional Sentences In English grammar, a conditional sentence is a type of sentence that expresses one situation (the condition,  antecedent, or protasis in a dependent clause) as a condition for the occurrence of another situation (the result, consequent, or apodosis in the main clause). Put simply, the basic structure underlying most conditional sentences can be expressed as, If this, then that. Also called a conditional construction  or a conditional. In the field of logic, a conditional sentence is sometimes referred to as an implication. A conditional sentence contains a conditional clause, which is a type of adverbial clause  usually (but not always) introduced by the subordinating conjunction if, as in, If I pass this course, I will graduate on time. The main clause in a conditional sentence often includes the modal  will, would, can, or could. A subjunctive conditional is a conditional sentence in the subjunctive mood, such as, If he were to show up here right now, Id tell him the truth. Examples and Observations In each of the following examples, the italicized word group is a conditional clause. The sentence as a whole is a conditional sentence. If I ruled the world,Every man would be as free as a bird,Every voice would be a voice to be heard,Take my word, we would treasure each day that occurred.(Leslie Bricusse  and  Cyril Ornadel, If I Ruled the World. Pickwick, 1963)If I ruled the world, was king on the throne,Id make peace in every culture, build the homeless a home.(Nasir Jones et al., If I Ruled the World (Imagine That), 1995)Now, if I had  been that young woman, I would have planted my feet, looked those men straight in the eye, and dared them to try to put me on board a ship when I didnt want to go, but times were different then.(Jennifer Chiaverini,  The Quilters Apprentice, 1999)Even  if she were to  confide in them all her suspicions, even  if she were to  tell them about the pills, even  if she were to  lead them to her locker at the Greyhound Bus Terminal and actually present them with her bloodied dress and the stacks of hundred-dollar bills, she would be regarded with skepticism and outrig ht disbelief.(Joy Fielding, See Jane Run. William Morrow, 1991) All this can be a dreadfully boring business, unless you think you have a future.(Bernard Malamud, The German Refugee, 1964)Conditional Clauses That Are Not Introduced by a Conjunction- It is possible to construct conditional clauses that do not begin with if or unless. The commonest way of doing this is to begin the clause with one of these words: were, should, had. For example: Were I to own a new BMW car, another ten microcomputers would be at my command, so their advertisements claim.Should you succeed in becoming a planner, you would be helping to create these parameters.Had I ignored my fitness, I could never have played international cricket for twenty years. (John Seely, Oxford A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation, rev. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2013)-  Were I to take a turn into the country,  the trees would present a leafless, wintry appearance.(Thomas Paine, winter 1792)- Let Domingo be my heir  should I fail to return, I said to the House that surrounded me.(Jane L indskold, Child of a Rainless Year. Tor Books, 2005)- Yet this strangest of all things that ever came to earth from outer space must have fallen while I was sitting there, visible to me  had I only  looked up as it passed.(H.G. Wells,  The War of the Worlds, 1897) Using the Past Perfect in ConditionalsIf the situations are set in the past, the past perfect is used in the conditional clause and a past perfect modal, usually would have, in the main clause. - If we had been there yesterday, we would have seen them. (But we were not there yesterday.)- If he had been given a good mark, he would have told me. (But it seems that he was not given a good mark.) If the auxiliary in the conditional clause is were, had, or should, we can omit if and front the auxiliary: - Were she here now, there would be no problem.- Had we stayed at home, we would have met them.- Should you see him, give him my best wishes. (Sidney Greenbaum and Gerald Nelson, An Introduction to English Grammar, 2nd ed. Pearson, 2002)Direct and Indirect ConditionsConditional clauses generally express a direct condition, indicating that the truth of the host clause (or apodosis) is dependent on the fulfillment of the condition in the conditional clause (or protasis). However, some condit ional clauses may express an indirect condition that is related to the speech act: [18]   And if I remember rightly you had jaundice didnt you (if I remember rightly it would be true to say)[19]   I mean if I told you honestly things can be really interesting [...][20]   [. . .] I did need to have a need to say , that I was doing something because uhm , otherwise I wouldnt be anybody if you see what I mean Direct conditions may be either open (or real) or hypothetical (or closed or unreal). Open conditions leave completely open whether the condition will be fulfilled: [21] Youre going to have huge trouble , if youve infected me. In [21] the speaker does not give any indication whether he or she believes that the conditionthe infection by the person addressedhas been fulfilled.(Sidney Greenbaum, Oxford English Grammar. Oxford University Press, 1996) Material Conditionals in LogicA material conditional expresses  another type of connection, neither causal nor logical yet similar to other types of conditionals in that it cannot be true if it has a false consequent and a true antecedent. An example of a material conditional is If humans live on Jupiter, then my great-grandmother was an astronaut. Although no natural link connects the antecedent and  consequent in this conditional, its meaning is clear. The point of this sentence, and others like it in English, is to emphasize that the antecedent is false. It is a way of expressing No way is there human life on Jupiter.Although material conditionals are often just  humorous ways of stating that something is false, we can draw from them a logically useful principle about interpreting sentential connectives. In a material conditional, the if... then... that connects the component sentences is a  truth-functional connective. This means that the truth of the conditional sentence is determined completely by (is a  function of) the truth of its component sentences. The only circumstance under which a material is false is when it has a true antecedent and a false consequent. That is why the compound sentence If theres human life on Jupiter then my great-grandmother was an astronaut can be used to state the falsity of there is human life on Jupiter. The consequent of the conditional (my great-grandmother was an astronaut) is obviously false. Yet the sentence as a whole is understood as true. But if the antecedent were true, then the conditional would be false, for it would have a true antecedent and a false consequent. Thus, a material conditional  of the form If (antecedent), then (consequent) is true unless the antecedent is true and the consequent is false. (Merrilee H. Salmon,  Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking, 6th ed. Wadsworth, Cengage, 2013)

Purchasing Power Parity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 15000 words

Purchasing Power Parity - Essay Example A new Eviews workfile is generated from the main menu of the Eviews by selecting File/New/Workfile, which opens up the create workfile dialogue box. Dated-regular frequency is chosen as the workfile structure type, frequency is chosen as monthly with the start date as 1990-1 and end date as 2011-03 as shown in fig1. The data from the excel is then imported by selecting the Proc/Import/Read Text-Lotus-Excel options of the main menu and choosing the dataset Data_Canada_PPP.xls. The number of series is entered as 3 in the Excel spreadsheet import dialogue box as shown in fig2. The data is imported successfully and is verified with the original data in the excel sheet by opening the generated data as shown in fig 3. Fig 1 Generate New Workfile Fig 2 Enter the number of series of Data Fig 3 Verifying the imported data 2) Generating Real Exchange Rate qt Real Exchange Rate qt is obtained by the formula: qt = st – pt + pt* -------- 1 where st = log(Exchange_rate) -------- 2 pt = log(CPI_Can) -------- 3 pt* = log(CPI_US) -------- 4 The formulae 2 to 4 are first generated using the Genr option in the workfile. The value of qt is then generated using the formula 1. The generated qt is shown in fig 3. e Fig 3 Value of qt 3) Plotting the graph (qt) Fig 4 shows the graphical view of series of values of qt. ... This can be tested using: Interpretation from Graphical representation: A non-stationary series produces lines with definite upward and downward trend with the passage of time, whereas a stationary series does not produce any such lines. Observing the Correlogram or Autocorrelation function (ACF): For a stationary process, the ACF will decline to zero in a quicker fashion whereas for a non-stationary process, the ACF declines in a linear fashion. From the graphical representation of real exchange rates between Canada and US shown in fig 4, it can be noted that the real exchange rate is likely to have some sort of random walk-up and walk-down pattern over the period of time. The presence of random walks indicates that the series qt seems to show non-stationarity in behaviour. However, the random walk does not show any increasing or decreasing trend. 4) Unit Test Root Non-stationarity of a process is characterized by the presence of unit root. In order to test whether the process is st ationary or not, it would suffice if we can check for the presence of unit root. This check can be performed by employing Augmented Dickey-Fuller’s test. The overall objective of this test is to test the null hypothesis that ? = 1 in: yt = ? yt-1 + ? + ut against the one-sided alternative ? < 1. So we define the hypothesis as H0 : yt = yt-1 + ? + ut (qt is non-stationary, ? =1) H1 : yt = ? yt-1 + ? + ut (qt is stationary. ? < 1) Subtracting the above equation with yt-1, we get the simplified equation as: ? yt = ? yt-1 + ? + ut Where ? = ?-1. Now the hypothesis for the presense unit roots can be written as: H0 : ? =0 (qt contains a unit root and is

Christology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Christology - Essay Example Parables can also easily be transformed to different situations, cultures and modern societies. They offer a real-life experience version and a psychological and spiritual accuracy. Jesus never just handed out the truth on a silver platter. He wanted the people to really think about their meaning and the impacts. Jesus’ parables, on the one hand, referred to everyday life situations, such as the ‘Parable of the Sower’ (Mark 4:1-20), the ‘Parable of the Good Samaritan’ (Luke 10:30-37) or the ‘Parable of the Pearl’ (Matthew 13:44-46). These parables deal, on the other hand, with much heavier messages about religious themes such as the Kingdom of God and the importance of praying (John). According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a Gospel is a â€Å"message concerning Christ† or â€Å"one of the first four New Testament books†. According to history, the Gospels were written at least 30 years after Jesus’ death. Can these Gospels be accurate accounts? Many believers agree on this and blindly follow the words of the writers, but since scholars started to research the Gospels, they discovered that Jesus in the Gospels is quite different than Jesus in the historic accounts (Albl 276). Five of the main points of dispute are these mentioned in Albl (281-282). The first point is that the Gospel of John differs from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The second is that the first Gospel was written approximately 30 years after Jesus’ death, which means that it is not an eye-witness account. The third is that Jesus spoke Aramaic and the Gospels are written in Greek. The high ‘supernatural’ incidents that raise questions of reliability is number four and number five is that the Gospels were written to encourage faith. Supporting the last point given by Albl (282), that the Gospels were written with the explicit purpose to encourage faith, is the rumor that the Christian church burned